About SoCal horse racing, Del Mar in particular

Tag Archives: Flavien Prat

Preview: Battleground State finally gave us a winner on Saturday. I was a little worried Flavien Prat was too wide, but he knew he had the horse and held on through the lane.
Two more weeks left in Arcadia and then it’s time for Del Mar and the Breeders’ Cup.

FIRST RACE: #4 Camino Del Paraiso (4-1)
Trainer OJ Jauregui ships this gelding down from Northern California and he doesn’t do that much so there is a purpose here. Despite the class hike going to the better circuit, jockey Kent Desormeaux jumps on. Desormeaux is a masterful turf rider and when he gets on a horse for the first time that horse usually shows improvement, which will be needed here. Jauregui is 3-for-7 with horses in the allowance ranks.

SIXTH RACE: #4 Hay Dude (8-1)
This gelding has won at Santa Anita on the grass four times and he has won two of five times down the hill. The only time he ran down the hill this year he won. He’s taking a slight class raise but I think he still has a big shot.

EIGHTH RACE: #7 South Texas Lingo (5-1)
Trainer Dallas Keen has stayed in SoCal after Del Mar and drops this gelding to the bottom. Keen is 41% when dropping a horse more than two class levels. Jockey Tyler Baze takes over.

NINTH RACE: #7 Sasini (4-1)
This filly is making her first start in the States and trainer Simon Callaghan is 27% with that kind. Callaghan puts blinkers on and adds Lasix. Prat jumps aboard and he is 30% with Callaghan. This filly is bred to go this far or longer.

Preview: Three stakes races on the card, but the first two don’t look like prices will be coming in. Other than that, a decent card.

FIRST RACE: #3 Cause for Pardon (9-2)
Drops to his lowest level ever in the maiden claiming ranks and gets a good jockey switch to Edwin Maldonado, who is good from the gate so look for a send job.

THIRD RACE: #1 Antioch (6-1)
This filly wasn’t bad last year as a 2-year-old, but obviously suffered an injury. Trainer Richard Mandella doesn’t bring them back until they are ready, hence he has a 26% strike rate with horses off a 180-day plus layoff. Regular barn rider Flavien Prat keeps the mount and the colt is coming out of a key race that has produced four winners from 10 starters.

FIFTH RACE: #6 Bunny Yogurt (10-1)
John Sadler has had this filly stashed at San Luis Rey Downs sans one Santa Anita work. Sadler is 20% with first time starters and I love the sire Scat Daddy on the turf. He gets 15% first time grass. Victor Espinoza is 21% with Sadler.

EIGHTH RACE: #3 Mrs McDougal (4-1)
This is it for this mare and I. Either win today or we’re done. LOL. She came from New York off a long layoff but just hasn’t shown the form she had last year. This is her third off the layoff for the team on Mandella and Prat. I suspect if she doesn’t win it will be off to the breeding shed. This mile distance appears to be her favorite with a 4-3-0-1 record.

NINTH RACE: #3 Dadtughtmewell (10-1)
Takes a drop in class off a long layoff. She is 2-for-3 at this distance. Prat and trainer Dean Pederson are 4-for-4 together the last two years.

SECOND RACE: #5 Psycho Dar
This gelding broke his maiden at first asking at Del Mar. Has speed and jockey Evin Roman stays aboard for trainer Steve Miyadi and they are 25 percent together. Also comes out of a key race that has produced two winners so far.

FIFTH RACE: #9 Hawk’s Journey (10-1)
Trainer Ed Moger Jr. is having a good year and brings this filly down from NoCal. This is her first time in a claimer and hot jockey Drayden Van Dyke jumps on. In addition to a win bet I would back wheel her in the exacta.

EIGHTH RACE: #10 Decarchy Dawn (3-1)
Trainer Bob Hess Jr. is pulling out all the stop to get this 3-year-old to break his maiden. He is adding blinkers and gelded the horse since his last race. The son of Decarchy comes out of a key Del Mar race that has produced two winners so far and keeps jockey Kent Desormeaux aboard.

PREVIEW: Day 2 of the meet. Rafael Bejarano won four times and Flavien Prat won three times on opening day and trainer Vladimir Cerin took the first two races of the meet so watch out his barn appears ready. On the opposite end, trainer Peter Miller went 0-for-10 on opening day after extolling his virtues first out the meet. Ouch.

SEVENTH RACE: 1. #1 Lajatico, 2. #4 Everqueen, 3. #6 Tapped. LONG SHOT: #9 Snow Cloud.Trainer Doug O’Neill isn’t know for his prowess on the turf, but he seems to do well in Del Mar turf sprints so we are with his horses in the first two slots. Long shot Snow Cloud is from the Jim Cassidy barn and he did very well last year going short on the grass, but why no Jamie Theriot?

EIGHTH RACE: 1. #6 Acharnement, 2. #4 Factorize, 3. #1 Midnight Summer. LONG SHOT: #10 Ginger Street.It isn’t often that you jockey Gary Stevens stick around for the last race and a maiden claimer at that. Trainer Eddie Truman is 29% with horses the first time they drop into a maiden claimer for the first time. Trainer Peter Miller has both the second and third horses and is live whenever he runs first time at the meet.

Race 4 – SA
#4 Kenjisstorm (4-1) ****
Our Eyes: Second start off the layoff for trainer Richard Baltas, who is 24% with horses the second time in his barn. Flavien Prat jumps on and he should have this horse in a good spot.
Jeff’s Playbook: 4 units to win, 5 units to place and 6 units to show.

Race 4 – SA
#4 Trappe the Moment (10-1) ****
Our Eyes: This colt hasn’t been seen since the American Anthem maiden race at Del Mar, which has produced four next out winners. Drops into a claimer for the first time. Worth a shot.
Jeff’s Playbook: 4 units to win, 5 units to place and 6 units to show.

Race 10 – SA
#4 Catfish Hunter (3-1) TURF ONLY ****
Our Eyes: Moving up in class to a MSW but that’s OK because this is his first turf try. The sire Grazen gets 23% first time winners on the grass. Tyler Baze keeps the mount.
Jeff’s Playbook: 4 units to win, 5 units to place and 6 units to show. EXBX 4-1-5.

Race 2 – SA
#6 Chuchotti (2-1) ****
Our Eyes: In case you haven’t figured out, I’m a big believer in the key race theory and this filly is coming out of a Del Mar race that has produced four winners from five starters. That’s enough for a single in all wagers for me.
Jeff’s Playbook: 5 units to win, 10 units to place.

Race 5 – SA
#7 Lauren’s Ladd (9-2) TURF ONLY ****
Our Eyes: Jockey Tyler Baze was on fire Thursday and hoping he stays hot here. This colt broke his maiden going down the hill and he finished second last time over a “good” surface. Maybe firm ground will suit him better. Trainer Ron Ellis is 33$ second off the claim.
Jeff’s Playbook: 4 units to win, 5 units to place and 6 units to show.

Race 8 – SA
#3 Irish Dame (4-1) ****
Our Eyes: This filly has been running on the turf but trainer Vann Belvoir gives that up and goes to the dirt as he drops her into a maiden claimer for the first time. He gets leading rider Falvien Prat and they are 24% together.
Jeff’s Playbook: 4 units to win, 5 units to place and 6 units to show.

Race 2 – SA
#8 Smuggler Union (4-1) TURF ONLY ****
Our Eyes: Gelding moves up in class and runs on turf for the first time. The sire Kantharos gets 18% winners first time on the turf. Trainer Howard Zucker is 33% second off the layoff.
Jeff’s Playbook: 4 units to win, 5 units to place and 6 units to show.

Race 5 – SA
#3 Sahara Storm (7-2) TURF ONLY ****
Our Eyes: Trainer Keith Desormeaux struck with on of these 3-year-olds last week that ran back East last year and has been moved West this winter. This colt showed speed at Saratoga and now drops into a maiden claimer for the first time.
Jeff’s Playbook: 4 units to win, 5 units to place and 6 units to show.

Race 7 – SA
#7 Longstocking (9-2) TURF ONLY ****
Our Eyes: Jockey Flavien Prat jumps on this mare which has been idle since December. She ran well off the layoff last time. She has some early lick so look for Prat to get over to the rail.
Jeff’s Playbook: 4 units to win, 5 units to place and 6 units to show.

Race 8 – SA
#7 Menace the Dennis (3-1) ****
Our Eyes: Gelding drops into a maiden claimer for the first time and tries two turns for first time. He is bred to go this far and Prat jumps on and he’s 23% with Doug O’Neill, who is 24% dropping from MSW to a maiden claimer.
Jeff’s Playbook: 4 units to win, 5 units to place and 6 units to show.